Any special advice when you plan on renting out your own home, your homestead? Each week veteran landlord and property manager Hank Rossi answers questions from other landlords and property managers around the country about their rentals.
Dear Landlord Hank:
WOW! I deal with earthquakes in California and just sold my two small, condo rentals, in preparation of moving to Portland, Oregon to be closer to family. Thank you for a very interesting summary of your hurricane preparations and how you and your properties came through it.
I plan on renting my home here in Silicon Valley, furnished. I have already in place: handyman, cleaner, gardener, and looking for a manager.
Any special advice for renting the homestead will be welcome. Always read your column and find it well worth the read. Cheers, Kate
Dear Landlady Kate,
Dealing with earthquakes has to be a terrifying experience, the closest we get to that in southwest Florida, is the occasional sink hole which sometimes swallow a home or two.
If your home is newer and you are renting it, then a handyman and others may be all you need.
While you are still in town, I’d interview heating, ventilation and air conditioning(HVAC) contractors, plumbers and electricians too, just in case. You may have a very talented handyman but sometimes you need a professional to get the job done correctly.
Renting your home and tips on finding a good property manager
When you are looking for a manager, try calling and see how long it takes for a call back.
Your response time may tell you a lot about that manager. A good manager will have a stable of trust worthy reliable pro contractors too.
Also, with any furnished property, do yourself a favor and make a detailed inventory of your things. It should be written as well as photo or video to show condition of items.
I hope you also have good neighbors who wouldn’t mind keeping an eye on your place while you are renting it. They can be your watchdog on a daily basis.
Depending upon your budget you could also have video surveillance that you can monitor from Oregon from your computer or your phone.
Good luck in Portland, Kate.
Read Landlord Hank’s post on going through Hurricane Irma as a landlord and property manager.
About the author Landlord Hank:
“I started in real estate as a child watching my father take care of our family rentals- maintenance, tenant relations, etc , in small town Ohio. As I grew, I was occasionally Dad’s assistant. In the mid-90s I decided to get into the rental business on my own, as a sideline. In 2001, I retired from my profession and only managed my own investments, for the next 10 years. Six years ago, my sister, working as a rental agent/property manager in Sarasota, Florida convinced me to try the Florida lifestyle. I gave it a try and never looked back. A few years ago we started our own real estate brokerage. We focus on property management and leasing. I continue to manage my real estate portfolio here in Florida and Atlanta. “ Visit Hank’s website here.